Superluminality in Effective Field Theories for Cosmology

Theories with large kinetic interactions have very relevant phenomenological applications in cosmology, in particular in the context of cosmic acceleration. Their Effective Field Theory (EFT) description relies on the so-called Vainshtein effect being operative. When incorporated at the quantum level, this mechanism ensures the validity of the theory in a non-trivial way. I will discuss how to estimate the regime of validity of such EFTs on the basis of computing the quantum corrections to the classical theory. I will point out how some lessons learned from the study of quantum effects in these theories might help us to tackle the significance of superluminalities and revisit what properties a healthy EFT should have.

This talk will summarize some recent results in bimetric theory, including the existence of the square-root matrix, possible connection to partial masslessness and conformal gravity, the structure of constraints and finally, the cosmological implications of the theory.